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Data Privacy and Security

The PARCC states have developed a consortium-wide policy that ensures the privacy and security of student data.

Just as they do now with their current testing programs and current assessment vendors, as states move to the PARCC consortium assessments, they will also provide limited access to student data to PARCC assessment vendors who will support test administration, scoring and reporting of results. The PARCC Data Privacy and Security Policy will guide the way PARCC states conduct business with the contractors delivering the PARCC assessments in 2014-15 and beyond. The policy will be incorporated into contracts with future PARCC contractors to ensure full compliance with the states’ requirements.

The PARCC consortium policy includes rigorous protections necessary to ensure that PARCC and PARCC contractors:

Only have access to personally identifiable student information when authorized by a state agency to use that data for specified purposes; and

Implement stringent policies and procedures to ensure the security of data and limit access to student data to only those employees who require it to conduct activities authorized by states.

The key principles of the policy are:

States retain responsibility for and control over their data. Neither PARCC nor PARCC contractors will share student data with any outside entity, including the federal government.

States must give permission to PARCC and PARCC contractors in order for them to access any personally identifiable information – and only for specific purposes defined by states.

The policies and requirements apply not just to PARCC but to its PARCC contractors.